SR-74 Ortega Highway Safety Project Nears Completion: $96.1 Million Upgrade on the Lake Elsinore Stretch
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) State Route 74 (Ortega Highway) lane widening and safety project is advancing near the City of Lake Elsinore in Riverside County, California. According to the Caltrans project page, the $96.1 million project runs from just west of Monte Vista Street to Grand Avenue and will widen lanes and shoulders and add safety features along the mountain corridor.
During construction, weeknight flagging operations run from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. between Monte Vista Street, west of El Cariso Campground Road, and Grand Avenue. Because Ortega Highway is a narrow two-lane road with limited shoulders, nightly full closures will occur as needed, and drivers should expect delays.
Contractor Granite Construction said its approximately $88 million contract covers widening the shoulders and roadway, installing centerline and edge line rumble strips and resurfacing, funded by state and federal sources. Construction began in April 2025 and is expected to be completed in November 2026.
Ortega Highway is a key mountain link between Orange and Riverside counties through the Santa Ana Mountains. Caltrans reminds drivers to slow down in the work zone and to sign up on the project page for construction updates.
(Source: California Department of Transportation)
Source: California Department of Transportation
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 74号州道Ortega公路（圣胡安卡皮斯特拉诺至埃尔西诺湖段）。 Ortega Highway (State Route 74) between San Juan Capistrano and Lake Elsinore. CC BY-SA 2.0，摄影：Ken Lund。图片来源 Source image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ortega_Highway_Between_San_Juan_Capistrano_and_Lake_Elsinore,_California_(5974112125).jpg
